Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer
ROYAL IMAGE (left), with Shane Ellis aboard, gets the better of GRACE MARIE to win the open allowance circular nine race at Caymanas Park on Saturday. ROYAL IMAGE was the 1-4 favourite. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer
HORSES FROM the $470,000-$410,000 claiming spread hold centre stage at Caymanas Park today in the Labour Day Trophy over 1200 metres, the feature event on a well-supported 12-race holiday programme.
The two-day carnival continues tomorrow with the 68th running of the Governor's Cup (Lotto Classic) for native-bred three-year-olds over 2000 metres with a purse of $2.5 million.
Today's programme offers a Pick-9 carryover of just more than $2 million as well as a Hi-five carryover of $564,456 going into the fourth race, while the programme will facilitate two Super-6s.
Declared starters
Nine starters have been declared for the Labour Day Trophy, including Claimer of the Year, FUSILIER, now dropped in class; the super-fit TWENTY NINE, JACK BE GOOD, UNCLE D & ME and hat-trick- seeker SAMMY OH SO, who steps up in class to vie for this trophy.
We could also add to the mix the Gary Subratie-trained STRONG DELIVERY to be ridden by 4kg claiming apprentice Lenroy Collins. The American 4-y-o colt looks tempting at the weights with 52kg and, providing he is alert at the start, could upset calculations on the strength of his 5 1/4 lengths third to GOOD CITIZEN in a fast-run 1200-metre race (1:12.4) on April 16.
Start favourite
FUSILIER, however, is expected to start favourite and now reunited with favourite rider Trevor Simpson, will not go down easily.
From the in-form stables of Lawrence Freemantle, the seven-year-old horse by Irish Quest out of the 1981 Gold Cup winner Bert By Jo has won a number of times over today's trip and is back among his peers as well.
True, he could only manage seventh place behind the speedy SUPER DAVE over the distance when well-backed on April 26 in overnight company. But two weeks before that he chased home EXPLOSIVE PEAK over the straight five course in overnight company, finishing a clear second and on the strength of that performance, must be the right choice with 54kg.
TWENTY NINE has settled down nicely in recent months and lost no marks in defeat when failing in his bid for the hat-trick behind the rejuvenated CHOSEN ONE over the straight on April 26. The 5-y-o gelding from the stables of Alden Francis has never been better and with the distance ideal, will only go down fighting.
The Anthony Ferguson-trained UNCLE D & ME and free-running JACK BE GOOD both have the credentials to do well in a race of this nature and along with STRONG DELIVERY, should ensure that my selection, FUSILIER, does not have things too easily.
I am expecting FUSILIER to race in touch of the expected leaders JACK BE GOOD and TWENTY NINE before coming through a furlong out.
Other firm fancies on the card are the well-forward debutante RACING MACHINE in the fifth race, FIRST EDITION in the sixth, RAINBOW TRAIN in the eighth, MUCHO GUSTO to rebound at the expense of old rival PRINCE TERRON and SCHIZANDRA in the ninth (overnight allowance) and ROYAL SOLUTION in the 10th.
